West Bank Alabaster Workshops
Small family workshops where you can see alabaster vases and scarabs cut by hand — and buy the good stuff.
Craftsman carving an alabaster vase in a small West Bank workshop
What to expect at West Bank Alabaster Workshops
A cluster of small alabaster workshops runs along the West Bank road between the Colossi of Memnon and the turn-off to the Valley of the Kings. Alabaster (technically calcite) has been quarried and worked in Egypt for five thousand years, and these family workshops carry on the tradition — cutting vases, canopic jars, ankh amulets, scarabs and small statuettes from raw blocks brought down from the desert quarries. Most tour drivers will detour into one on request, though not all are equal.
The best workshops give you a real demonstration: a craftsman on the doorstep hollowing out a vase with iron tools, then polishing it with a mixture of sand and lime; a second craftsman with a chisel making scarabs. You'll see the difference between hand-cut and machine-cut pieces (the machine-cut ones are much cheaper and thinner-walled but not necessarily worse for a souvenir). The shops sell alabaster and also basalt, granite and soapstone pieces. Bargain — expect to end up around half the first price.
Choose a workshop where the demonstration is happening as you arrive rather than one that only puts on the show when tour buses pull up. The workshops on the northern side, closer to the Nobles' Tombs road, tend to be more genuine. There's no obligation to buy after a demonstration, though a small tip ($1-2) if you don't is polite. Combine with any West Bank tour — every driver has favourites. Free tea comes with any lengthy browse.
Questions about West Bank Alabaster Workshops
No, workshops are free to enter and browse.
Yes, most owners will demonstrate for free hoping you'll buy. A $1-2 tip is polite if you don't.
About 30-45 minutes for a demo and browse; longer if you're shopping seriously.
Sat-Thu 8:00-17:00; Friday hours are unpredictable due to prayers.
No, walk-in only.
Along the West Bank road between the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Kings turnoff, clustered near Al-Qurna village.
Hotels near West Bank Alabaster Workshops
Every hotel we cover in Al-Qurna
- Gabawy Garden 3.2 km away
- Mountain View House 3.2 km away
- Moon Adam hostel 3.6 km away
More things to do
All things to do
From the journal
All posts
Comparisons & rankings
Hotels with Nile views in Luxor, ranked
Ten Nile-facing hotels in Luxor tested for actual river views, not the ones the booking site photographs with a wide lens — from $28 pensions to $380 suites.
Comparisons & rankings
Best boutique hotels in Luxor, ranked
Nine small hotels in Luxor with actual character, ranging from $60 West Bank guesthouses to a $320 domed retreat — with the honest catch on each one.
Comparisons & rankings
Best family-friendly hotels in Luxor, ranked
Eight Luxor hotels tested with kids, from a $45 pension with a rooftop to a $280 resort with a proper kids' pool — plus which chain to skip.